𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, bella kept a lookout from the crow's nest. she had a feeling will wasn't going to be locked up for very long.

as it turned out, she was correct. 

when the sky was cloudy and the air was darkly crisp, will appeared down on the main deck. bella leapt onto a rope and slid down, landing beside him at the rail.

"how shocking, you broke out," bella greeted. will put his hand on his sword, but she rolled her eyes. "don't try it," she said. "i'm not going to say anything."

"oh," will said dejectedly, clearly unhappy for some reason.

"will, i'm not great at advice," bella sighed. "may i interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

he looked at her expectantly.

"all right, i'm guessing you're having relationship issues. if i might offer a solution as to keeping fair elizabeth's love: don't save your father."

"i have to. i can't turn my back on him," will shook his head.

"'can't' is a matter of fact. you can if you want, but you won't — that makes it a matter of choice. that's what life is, dear william: choices," bella grabbed a nearby rope, leaning on it casually. "out of all the things you can do, what will you do?"

". . . but i love her," will defended himself.

"if there's one thing i've learned over the past month, it's this," bella told him honestly. "when someone makes you happy, make them happy back."

will considered this. he couldn't argue. "you're better at advice than you claim to be," he confessed.

bella smiled. for a second, they were silent.

"who will kill jones, then?" will finally wondered.

bella took a quiet breath, and allowed herself to be vulnerable, even for the slightest second. ". . . your mental disturbance is quite terrifying, yet relatable," she answered softly.

"jack?" will realized what she meant. "he wants to slice out his heart and ferry souls to the other side?"

"take it up with him," bella shrugged, turning away. she didn't want to let will see any more of her insecurity.

however, he grabbed her hand, forcing her to face him again. "you can't go with him, bella. you can only see him once every ten years."

he had read her thoughts. she sighed and looked him in the eyes. "that's what makes it so terrifying," she whispered, voice catching.

"i see." will looked at her for a second before pulling her into a hug. bella was taken aback at first, but she wrapped her arms back around him gratefully.

they pulled away. he stared down at her. "bella, i know you love him."

she nodded and faintly smiled, but she could sense his doubt. "yeah, i love him. and guess what? i trust him."

will raised his eyebrows, then finally gave a hesitant nod.

"i wish you luck, will. now hurry up and hide before i raise an alarm."

* * *

a few hours later, the night had become even darker. bella was walking across the main deck, looking for jack, when she heard voices coming from the bow of the ship.

"i said to myself, think like jack," bella was able to deduce that it was will.

"and this is what you've arrived at? lead beckett to shipwreck cove so as to gain his trust, accomplish your own ends? it's like you don't know me at all, mate," bella crept a bit closer, now hearing jack. "and how does your dearly beloved feel about this plan? ah, you've not seen fit to trust her with it."

"i'm losing her, jack. every step i take for my father is a step away from elizabeth," will sighed.

it was certainly new for will to pour out his heart to jack, but bella had to admit, she felt sorry for him.

"mate, if you choose to lock your heart away, you'll lose her for certain. if i might lend a machete to your intellectual thicket—avoid the choice altogether. change the facts. let someone else dispatch jones," jack suggested. bella grimaced, knowing what he meant.

"you?" will asked, clearly taking what bella had said into account.

"death has a curious way or reshuffling one's priorities," bella heard jack answer. "i'll slip aboard the dutchman, find the heart, stab the beating thing. your father goes free, you're free to be with fair elizabeth, problem solved!"

"and you're willing to carve out your heart and bind yourself to the dutchman, forever?" will asked in response. bella smiled to herself, glad that will was tying to talk jack out of his plan.

"no, mate, i'm free forever," jack replied, sounding inspired. "free to sail the seas beyond the edges of the map, free from death itself."

bella furrowed her brows in dismay. jack really wanted to become captain of the dutchman?

"and what about bella?" will pressed. gratefully, bella let out a tiny sigh. perhaps will would change jack's mind after all. "you can only visit her for one day every ten years. considering how much you two have been through together, i doubt she'd support your aspiration."

leaning around the corner slightly, bella saw jack's face dim. "well, i suppose we could work around that—"

"you can't. the terms are finite. where you are bound, she cannot go," will interrupted.

jack looked like he was about to make another excuse, but will cut him off again.

"and you've got to do the job," he said. "you have to ferry souls to the next world. or end up just like jones."

"i don't have the face for tentacles," jack replied. "but immortal has to count for something, eh? oh!"

bella saw jack hand will a small object. squinting, she realized it was the compass.

"what's this for?" asked will.

"think like me, it'll come to you," jack answered.

bella saw will fall over the rail and into the sea. she suppressed a gasp. "my regards to davy jones!" waved jack as the pearl drifted away.

he stayed by the rail, watching the dark waters pass by.

bella slowly approached him, and gently pulled his hand into hers. he glanced down at her in surprise.

"still up, love?" he said, more of a comment than a question.

she didn't look at him. instead, she stared out at the water. "you really want to bind yourself to the dutchman?" she finally asked incredulously.

jack raised his eyebrows, realizing that she had heard the conversation.

"one day every ten years, jack," she continued, a mix of anger and hurt in her voice. "ten years."

jack sighed quietly and looked down at her.

bella turned to meet his eyes, but she couldn't deduce what he meant with his gaze. "you're fine with leaving me?" she whispered, tears almost welling up in her deep blue orbs. she blinked them back.

jack diverted his gaze from hers.

in a chilling moment of frustration, bella shook her head and pulled her hand out of his.

jack looked back up remorsefully. his eyes were searching and ambivalent. she could tell that he was reconsidering his sentiments. he studied her with an apology in his stare, then wrapped his arms around her. giving in, she leaned into his chest. with a sigh, she wished they could stay in the moment forever, free from all worry and safe from any irreversible change. 

a/n

hope u liked this chapter! it lays a lot of groundwork. everything from here on out is so good & i'm super excited to keep publishing!

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